LIVERMORE FALLS – Monday morning’s removal of the flags from the Gazebo had been worked out by the end of the day and the flags were back up, Selectman Ken Jacques told complainants at the Monday night meeting.

“They’re going to stay up until after the Fourth, and then be flown for special occasions,” he said.

Jacques blamed the incident, which had raised concern by several, on lack of communication. “I spent most of the day working on it,” he said. “The musicians weren’t going to play if the flags weren’t up.”

Sponsors of the flags had received permission from the town office to have them fly as a tribute to our servicemen and woman, but the two active members of a nearly defunct Gazebo Committee, saw things differently. They had not been consulted and were concerned the flags would interfere with performances scheduled to begin June 3.

Jacques said he had talked Monday with former town manager Maxine Bailey, who reportedly had ordered the flags down. “She didn’t mean for it to get out of hand,” he reported.

Pearl Colford, who with her husband, Larry, was incidental in getting a ramp built onto the structure, asked about financial support for the Gazebo. She said repeated attempts to learn about how it is supported had led to no answers.

Apparently the town never formally accepted the building as town property but it is covered under the town’s insurance and International Paper supplies electricity for it, Town Manager Alan Gove announced.

Town Clerk/Treasurer Kristal Flagg, who was on the committee at one time, was reported as saying she didn’t remember the last time a meeting of the committee was held.

In another flag-related incident, selectmen honored a request by Penny Brown for support of the Main Street flag project, saying both Jay and Livermore had donated.

A $500 donation will be taken from roll-over funds on the previous grant and will be used to maintain and replace the flags as needed. The town will also supply manpower and equipment as needed to replace flags that are 14 feet off the ground.

Citizens were also concerned about future uses of the former Parkview Nursing Home, citing rumors they had heard. Gove assured them that any use of the building will be subject to a two-part process, first as site review by the Planning Board, and secondly by his office.

The board will seek bids on sewer replacement work on Route 17, required by the state road work there.

An abatement was approved on the T.R. Austin trailer and a quit claim issued to Tina and Joseph Curtis for a tax foreclosed property.

Copy the Story Link